Device for contrasting chromatic colors



April 15, 1941- .1. P. GAUGLER DEVICE FOR CONTRASTING CHROMATIC COLORS Filed Sept. 15, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS April 15, 1941. j p GAUGLER 2,238,316

JOSEPH P. Gaye; 2.

TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE;

DEVICE FOR CONTRASTING CHROMATIC COLORS Joseph I. 'Gaugler, Ridgewood; N.--J.-

Application September 15, 1939, Serial'No.-295,102.

7 Claims. 88- 14) portion of. the color. guide consisting of the lowermost. chromatic.dis c.-

The invention is-illustrated in, connection with the use of four: color cards or. discs I, 2, 3 amid,- iwhich are suitablyperforated-and centrally se-- cured togetherby a metal member 5 upon which thediscs may-freely ;rotate.. The cover-(disc l is,-v proper relative value of colors, particularly the of. slightly smaller diameter thanthe remaining harmony or lack of harmonyof several colors. three discs 2,-3 and -4 andeach discds provided In consequence, in connectionwith the selection uy witha series of tabs fOr .maniplllating and a of colors for furnishings and household articles ranging the d s auto ati y, in. p and maniylother purposes, although efi'ort is mined order. made by the seller and purchaser of; such ar- The lowermost disc4 is divided into a series of: ticles to properly harmonize color combinations, Segments, y-f nv u equal y spaced experience ,has shown that ieat difficulty is GX115 the Circle, eachflegment b a perienced in thisconnection, primarily by reason certain 001011 In t e particular form. of thewine. of k of understanding or training th r vention shown in the. drawings, the lowermost,

This invention relates to a device for selecting and automatically arranging color combinations on the basis of predetermined relative colo values.

The public, and manypersons engaged regu,. larlyinarranging color combinations, have great difiiculty in evaluating, or understanding. the

spect to the relative'values of different colors or combinations,

This invention providesfla device whereby the relative value of a tremendously large number,

of different colors: can be ascertained. In .fact, with the particular arrangement shown in the disc 4 is provided with a pure color representa tion or reproduction .in every'third segment 6;

.go consequently there are. between two pure colors 6, two-additionalsegments- Upon each segment. immediately bordering eachv pure color 6, there is applied a derivative or shade of theparticular drawings, for the purposepf illustratin th 1 colorB. In each instance, the particular derivavention, more than 13,000 combinations of color tion o the e 00 5 is a li COIOI Or tint: contrasts are po 5ib1 e I thereof applied. in segment .1, and a dark.

One object of the invention ;is to. provide .a Shade of i i 'appii d inthe see-M scientific color guide, that may be used (even. merit The tint 1 is yd xto the 1 by individualszhaving no previousexperience);v to P 00101? 5, in each nce, the same amount-' give an artistic contrast of everal colors Of White, and dark shade B "is obtained-by.-

Other bje cts of invention are: to provide- Same amom1t of black. 1TOfi1luStrate',J a color guide that measurescolor contrast on a in. Connection with" therpurer C0101. o ehpercentage basis; to provide a color guideindi-v Shown on F s- 1 a d firt efi ent 6 marked eating the proportion of the warm color to be a s t e P e o a heses:- used with the cool color to provide lo guide ,35 ment ,1 a tint thereof containing .an addedin which the achromatic scale portion (seeFig. amount of White, and thersegmentca 3+ dark Shade 3) is independently operablegwith respect-gtqth thereof containing .anaddedamount of black. chromatic scale portion oftheguide; to provide. The Same amount Of'White' d black is added a color guideinwhich the. varioussuitable color to h of the other Seven rs shown on the contrast. combinationsare automatically brought 40 disc 4; to obtain their respectiveltintslanyd dark into alignmentmerely. by setting-the color guide d these colors applied to the at the desired degree-of-color contrast. 5 Spondmg segments, lowermost disc The accompanyin drawings are presented to there,mre' t multiplicity of illustrate thepreferred variation of theq'color figggjiifgjgggffggg 2 9 5 guide Fig'ul Shows plan View of the assem mediately 'bordering it' a tintandfi grl: s h d bled color guide; Fig- 2 a vertical cross-sectional on itself; 8 view of the assemb d color guide; e- 3 Di The-disc.;'3, whichziis';intermediatecoflthe.discs. 1 view of the portlon ,of the color. guide consisting I 2 andl, is dividediinto a multiplicity :of segments} of the top or c v r'd1sc r met e a mati twentyefour in number; as illustrated inirFig't 5,; scale; Fig; 4 a plan, view of theportion ofvthe each' third segment -9 of the entire -circle;ha',ving;.;-t color guide consisting of the topmost chr ma i applied thereto a; color whichis'a mixture ofztwox: disc; Fig. 5 a plan vie-wot, the portion of. the v I adjoining colors onathe disc: 4'. ,Such::col0r mix;-:-=' color guide consisting... ofv the. intermediates tures 3 ctr-the disc-,-3-.are arrangednin thessamer;

chromatic'disc; and Fig; 6 a planrview of, the -;sequence-as-the 131118700101801'113118 IOWCImOStQiSCLL 4. Thus, for instance, the Orange-Yellow segment of disc 3 represents a mixture of the two adjoining (in counterclockwise direction) pure colors Orange and Yellow of disc 4, in which the orange predominates. The succeeding colors 9 on disc 3 are likewise mixtures of two adjoining pure colors 5-6, in which the first color, in a counterclockwise direction, predominates. Each of the mixtures 9 of pure colors, on disc 3, is provided inthe two border segments with a tint at one side and a dark shade at the other side. Thus, the Orange-Yellow segment 9 would be provided in segment (clockwise) with a light tint and in segment I I with a dark shade of the orange-yellow mixture. The tint for segment I!) is obtained by adding a definite amount of white to the orange-yellow mixture and the dark shade is obtained by adding a definite amount of black to the orange-yellow mixture. This samepercentage of white and black is added to each of the other mixtures 9 represented on the card or disc 3, to produce the tintand dark shade of each mixture 9 and applied to the corresponding border segments lfl-I i. That portion of the disc 3 which has the colors applied thereto, has an cecentric contour, whereby the amount of colored area for some colors is less than others. It will be observed that by reason of the eccentric contour of the disc 3, the amount of yellow-green color is substantially less than turquoise-blue and the colors intermediate of the two show a gradually increasing amount of color area for each particular color over yellow-green.

The disc 3 is provided with a series of cut-outs or windows 12, which are framed by the strips I3, which windows, when the discs 3 and 4 are assembled,'overlie the path of the colors on the disc 4. v v

The disc 2 is built up, in so far as its color segments are concerned, on the same basis as disc 3, excepting that the color dominating in the mixture 9 of disc 3 is subdued in disc 2. Thus, for instance, whereas the Orange-Yellow segment 9 in disc 3 shows a predominance of orange over yellow, the corresponding segment I4 in disc 2 shows a predominance of yellow over orange. The same rule holds true with respect to each other -color combination on disc 2, the dominating color being the first color mentioned in each segment l4-in disc 2. Again in disc 2 each mixture is bordered -by a tint l5 and a dark shade l6 of the particular mixture. Thus, for instance, the yellow-orange -mixture I4 is bordered in the segment-l5 by a tint of yellow-orange, obtained byadding to the yellow-orange mixture a definite amount of White, and on its opposite side 13 by a'dark shade of the-yellow-orange mixture, obtained by adding to the yellow-orange mixture a definite amount of black. Each of the other mixtures is'treated in the same manner, by adding the same amount of white and black to obtain the corresponding border shades l5-I5.

That portion of the disc 2 which has the colors applied thereto, also has an eccentric contour,

colors is less than others. It will be observed that by reason of the eccentric contour of the disc 2, the amount of green-yellow color is substantially less than blue-turquoise and the colors intermediate of the two show a gradually increasing amount of color area for each particular color over green-yellow. The disc 2 is provided with a series of cut-outs or windows ll, which are the discs are assembled, overlie the paths of the colors upon the discs 3 and 4.

The cover disc I is provided with circular bands 19 of achromatic colors, beginning with the circular white center 29 and gradually increasing toward the black in an outward direction to the extreme band 2|, providing a white center 20, with graduated shades of gray, and a black outer border 2|. The disc I is provided with three windows 22, which have a sufiicient area to overpurpose of exposing three spaced color segments on each of the discs 2, 3 and 4.

It will therefore be observed that the cover disc I carries a, series of achromatic colors and the under discs 2, 3 and 4 each carry a series of 20 chromatic colors.

The three discs 2, 3 and 4 are each provided at their peripheries with a multiplicity of tabs identifying various degrees of color contrast, whereby, when the tabs representing eachpercentage of color contrast are superposed, a predetermined relation of color values will be obtained by the alignment of color segments upon each of the three discs 2, 3 and 4, which are observable, in their order, through the windows 22 in the cover discs I.

The invention, for the purpose of illustration, is shown in connection with three discs 2, 3 and 4, organized to illustrate minimum contrasts or little color contrast (isovalents) maximum con- 5' -trasts (complementaries or 100%), and two intermediate contrasts, 66% contrast (triads) and 25% contrast (octads). Each of the discs 2, 3 and 4 is provided with equivalent tabs, each marked with the percentage of contrast. Thus "discs 2, 3 and 4 each has a maximum contrast tab 24, a minimum contrast tab 25, a 66% contrast tab 26-, and a 25% contrast tab 21.

When the isovalent or minimum contrast tabs 25 are superposed, then each pure color shown on disc 4 is contrasted with a mixture, on disc 3,

of the pure color on disc 4 which is being examined and next pure color represented in a clockwise direction on disc 4 (in which the said next pure color dominates) and further contrasted with a mixture on disc 2 of the same two colors represented on disc 3 but in which mixture the pure color being examined dominates. Thus, for instance, if the pure color Red on disc 4 is being contrasted, such contrast will be with Purple-Red on disc 3 and the Red- Purple on disc 2. At the same time the border colors are observable through the two side windows of windows 22.

When the complementary, 100% or maximum contrast tabs 24 are superposed, then each pure color shown on disc 4 is contrasted with a mixture, on disc 3, of two different pure colors other than the particular pure color on disc 4 being examined, together with a mixture on disc 2 5 of another pure color and the particular pure whereby the amount of colored area for some color on disc 4 which is being examined. Thus, to illustrate, if the color on disc 4 which is being examined, through the center window of the windows 22, is the pure color Orange,- the mixture on disc 3 will be' Aqua-Turquoise and the mixture on disc 2 will be Orange-Red.

The border colors of each of the colors seen through the center windows '22 will also be contrasted with the corresponding border colors on framed by the strips "L which Windows, when each of the discs.

- 2 (green-ryellow) When; the triadszeoi' 331%; .contrastetabsuare superposeinthene eachpurelcolor shown, 01 disc.

4 iscontrasted witlsacolorreprcsentin ethedark Shadepfa.v mixturerofotwo, colors. on; disc and the 1ightshade....of .:a ,mixture ontwo colorsgon,

disc 3. Thus, for instance-,.;the;.pure ,.color,iRed on .disc ,4 will :be; contrasted with athe; ,dar:.kw shade of ffYellowrfirreenb on gdiSC ,3, sand the, vtint ,qoi .1

'mrquoiseeAquali, on, disc-2 Whenthel octads or 25%, contrast, tabs- 21, are

superposed-then eachzpure. color; shown .on. disc i ;is contrastedwith a colorreprese'nting ,a .1mix--,

ture 91of;,two; pure colors, .oidiscj, and further. contrasted wit-ha mixture I4 ,(on,-dis'c.. 2-),. of tone oi the, pure colorson disc. ,3 and .a third color.

Thus,. for; instance, the lcenter, window.,- of- ..the., Windows, 22:;shoyvs,.;on vdisc 4 ,(Figs 1,), the -pure,

color .Orange, onsdisc, 3 ran fOrange-Yellow mixture iniwhichg orange dominate and V a receding, colors,,as.the greens and blues, have GreemYellowi? mixture .on .disc 13in which the green dominates. At.,,the same. .,time, both; the.

orange ,dark shade and, the orange tint. are -con-.

trastedwithltheurelated, dark .shadesland. tintsof the .mixtures .of' disc ..3 (orange-yellow); .and disc Other; 25%; contrasts are shown throughthe windows. 23.

Iniorder tobring about-thesproper alignment ofhthe, colors on each,disc, when related tabs are superposed, :it is necessary. that the tabs .be def initely positionedontheir respective discs. This relation with respecthtov eachof. the. discs 2, 3

and 4 is, shown in Figs. 4, .5,and 6, from which itwill appear-thatthe. minimum contrast tab 25 of disc 2 is opposite thefOrange-Bed segment,

in-discjuopposite theflRed-Orange" segment, andin disc 4 .opposite. the.. Orange;- segment.- The .rnaximumcontrast: tab 24 of disc 2 is op,-.

posite the Aqua-.Green segment, in disc1-3 oppositethe Purple-Red! segment, and in disc 4 oppositathe=Aquaisegment; The 66%icontrast tab. 26 .of disc! is-. intermediate the Blue- Turquoise! and "Turquoise-Aqua. segments in- Blue? segment, and. in disc 4 opposite the -fTur quoiseli segment,

Therimof theldisci-is provided with ,a com-" positedchart 28, provided with '72 segments,

eachhsegment bearing-one of the: colors on-the three discsZ, 3 .and 4,:thev-total: number whereof is also :72. The chart 28 .is circumferentially' dividedinto. eight divisions, each division consistinglof nine segmental-the centersegmentZS of each ,division bearing-oneot the -purecolors of the disc 4 in the same order.

On -each side ,1

of each purecolor segment 29 on the chart-28 the border-colors 30 and 3| correspondingto 1 dark shade. and light tint are 'ar ranged (of disc 4). in thethree succeeding-segments 32, 33 and 34 are arranged the color mixtures [5, I4, l6 shown on disc 2. On the other side of the segment 29 next to the tint 3| and in the segments 35, 36 and 31 are arranged the color mixtures l0, 9, ll shown on disc 3. Thus, with respect to the pure color Orange (6, on disc 4) it will be reproduced on chart 28 at 29, bordered by its dark shade and tint (I and 8 on disc 4) at 30 and 3!; the color Yellow-Orange and its dark shade and tint (l4, l6 and IS) on disc 2 will be reproduced in segments 33, 34 and 32 on the chart 28; the color Red-Orange, its dark shade and tint on disc 3 will be reproduced in the see- On the dark shadeside and next thereto to the remaining .sevenpurecolors. I

The. foregoing description sets, forth ,the

physical characteristics, of this invention when used.; .to,--obtainhcoloro contrasts. which have. a relativecolorsvalue lan :l.relation, butv the device may the .used at. ,the. will v of the manipulator. to

'put.,;together alldifierent. forms. and. combinae, tiens.,of,: color.icontrasts ,Within 1 the capacity ,of the device bytmerely ignoring,superposing, like tabs and by; manipulating the individual discs tot, expose, at. the;,windows..any desirable, color com: bination or,. if desired, by: superposing, unlike tabs ,7 which;would givela comparison. of theparticular,

colors on thediscsot such unlike tabs.

The,warm oroadvancing, colors such as, .the

reds and yellows, have;long. wave lengths, and

are bright and stimulating, whereas theicool or shortwave ,lengthsand, are .-.quiet and restful.

Thegwarmpr advancing-colors should beused in proportionately,lessharea than the cool or receding.,.colors..,; This isespecially true ,when ,the ,warm',oroadvancing colors are used as .c0m-

plementaries tothe coolandreceding colors, or vice ,verlsam To illustrate, anexamination of disc 4 shows thQgCOlOI'S-Qf ,thespectrum in their relative .Warm relation, inv which, the warmestv color is yellowand .the-leastawarm color is blue. It is. advisable therefore, tocontrast, in the matter. of area, .less,yellow than blue, and a gradually reduced amount of areafQ-I? each of the colors which lie between blue and yellow. This is accomplished bythe eccentric contour of the disc 3,

which, When-the complementarytabs are superposed,cuts downthe amount of exposed area of the colors ranging from the greatest exposure of blue to the least exposure of yellow.

1. A device for arranging colors ina predetermined relation comprising a plurality of superimposed discs centrally pivoted to each other, one of said discs having annularly arranged thereon a series oflgroups of color segments, each groupbeing composed of a segment of pure color positioned intermediate a segment bearing a tintof said color and a segment bearing a darker shadeoi said color, a second disc having annularly arranged thereona series of groups of color segments, each group including a segment provide dwith a color representing a combination of two purecolors and positioned intermediate a segment bearing a tint of said combination colorand asegment bearing a darker shadepf said combination color, and athird disc having annularly arranged thereon aseries of groups of color segments, each group of said third disc including a segment provided with a color representing aQdif ferent combination ofv twopure colors and positioned intermediate a segment bearing a tint of such combination color and a segment bearing a darker shade of such combination color, each series of color segments, on the individual discs, being arranged to form an annular color band and the annular color band of each disc being arranged at a different radial distance from the said pivot, each of the upper discs being provided with apertures, the apertures in each of the upper discs being arranged so that they may be radially aligned with the apertures in the other discs to expose radially aligned color segments of the annular bands, and indicating meansprovided on said discs and being manipulatable to bring into registry with,

the color segments 'of said first mentioned disc, color segments of saidsecond and third discs which contrast with the color segments of said first mentioned disc in any one of a plurality of different predetermined degrees of contrast.

2. A device such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pure colors on said first mentioned disc are arranged in spectrum sequence and the color of each of the intermediate combination color segments of said second disc represents a combination of the pure colors of two adjacent groups of said first mentioned disc, one of such pure colors in said segments predominating over the other, and the color of each of the intermediate combination color segments of said third disc represents a combination of the same pure colors as the corresponding segment of said second disc but in which the other of such pure colors predominates.

3. A device such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pure colors on said first mentioned disc are arranged in spectrum sequence and the colors of the intermediate combination color segments of said second and third discs are arranged in spectrum sequence and each represents a combination of the pure colors of two adjacent groups at said first mentioned disc, one of said pure colors in each intermediate segment of said second disc predominating over the other pure color and the other of such pure colors predominating in each corresponding intermediate segment of the third disc, and said indicating means comprises a plurality of spaced tabs on each of said discs representing a plurality of different predetermined degrees of contrast the tabs on each disc being similar in number and in degree of contrast to the tabs on the other two discs but spaced at different distances from the corresponding tabs of the other two discs, whereby a plurality of color combinations contrasting in different predetermined degrees with a specific pure color on said first disc may be obtained by aligning corresponding tabs on the three discs.

4. A device such as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first mentioned disc underlies said second disc and the latter underlies said third disc, the

segments on all three discs being equal in number, said device including a fourth disc overlying and rotatable relative to said third disc, said fourth disc covering the color segments of the three underlying discs and being provided with three segmentally formed apertures, positioned closely adjacent to one another, said apertures each being dimensioned to expose three aligned segments of the underlying discs and the three apertures having an overall width less than the overall width of three adjoining sets of superimposed aligned segments of the underlying discs.

5. A device such as claimed in claim 1, in which the color segments of at least one of said discs have predetermined variable lengths in'a radial direction, the lengths of the segments of brighter colors in such discs being less than the lengths of the'segments of quieter colors whereby when the color segments of said discs are aligned there is produced not only a selected contrast of colors but also a proper balancing of the amounts of colors in the selected group.

'6. Adevice. for arranging colors in a predetermined relation: comprising a disc having annularly arranged thereon in a predetermined sequence a series of color segments, a second disc superimposed and centrallypivoted to said first disc and having annularly arranged thereon, in a predetermined sequence and at a difierent radial distance from the pivot of said device than the series of color segments on said first mentioned disc, a series of color segments arranged to beradially aligned with the segments on said first mentioned disc, apertures in the superimposed disc at the same radial distance as the annularly arranged color segments in said first mentioned disc and adapted to be aligned at will over several of said color segments so as to expose to view simultaneously such color segments, the color segments of said second disc being different in area from the color segments of said first disc exposed through the said apertures of said second disc and being gradually varied in length in a radial direction, the lengths of the segments of brighter colors in said second disc being less than the lengths of the segments of quieter colors whereby when the color segments of said discs are aligned there is produced not only a selected contrast of colors but also a proper balancing of the amounts of the colors.

7. A device for arranging colors in a predetermined relation comprising a disc having annularly arranged thereon in a predetermined sequence a series of color segments, a second disc superimposed on said first disc and centrally pivoted thereto, said second disc having annularly arranged thereon in a predetermined sequence and at a different radial distance from the pivot of said device than the series of color segments on said first mentioned disc, a series of color segments arranged to be radially aligned with the segments of said first mentioned disc, said second disc having arranged in annular relation around its segments and adjoining the outer edges-of thelatter, a series of segmentally shaped windows similar in number to the number of segmentsof said disc, the said windows overlying the segments of the lower disc, the line of juncture between said windows and segments being eccentric in form so that said windows in a radial direction gradually vary in length to exposein proportionately lesser amounts, warm colors of the first disc when aligned with contrasting colors of the second disc and to expose in proportionatelygreater amounts, colder colors of the first disc, when aligned with contrasting colors of thesecond disc.

' JOSEPH P. GAUGLER. 

